Giant Stance and Liv Embolden get a new frame and 130mm of travel, from $3,299
Giant has rebuilt its entry level dual suspension trail bike from the ground up, and Liv's version, the Embolden, gets the same treatment. Both are in Australian dealers now at $3,299, which puts them below the Trance X and Intrigue and above the Talon and Tempt hardtails.
A new frame and a new suspension layout
The rear end is where the work went. Giant has re-engineered its FlexPoint single pivot layout and tucked the shock into the top tube, lifting rear travel to 130mm. Damping comes from Giant's own Crest FloTrac Elite TR shock with a two position lever, paired with a Giant STL 34 dual air fork running 140mm up front. Both ends are set up through Unified Suspension Setup, Giant's weight based baseline settings for riders who would rather not guess at pressures.
The frame is hydroformed ALUXX aluminium with a threaded bottom bracket, a 12x148mm rear thru axle, and cable routing that can run internally or externally. Head angle is 65 degrees, and the smallest size runs a 29in front wheel with a 27.5in rear.
What you get for $3,299
Both bikes ship in a single build. Shifting is Shimano CUES SL-6000, 1x10, with a CS-LG300 11 to 48 cassette and a CUES FC-U6000 30 tooth crank. Braking is Tektro Gemini M535 four piston hydraulics. A Giant Contact Switch AT dropper post is standard, with travel scaled by frame size from 110mm up to 200mm, plus Maxxis Dissector 2.4in tyres on tubeless ready Giant AM30 rims.
The Liv Embolden is the women's specific version, with its own seat tube and head tube lengths, and Australian dealers are listing it in sizes XS to M in Pail Moss. The Giant Stance covers the wider size range.
What it means for buyers
A dropper post, four piston brakes and tubeless ready wheels at $3,299 is a solid spec for a full suspension trail bike, and the redesigned rear end matters more than the travel number suggests. Worth lining up against other sub $3,500 dual suspension bikes on BikeFinder before you commit, because at this money the real differences are in the parts you would otherwise replace first.